I haven't tried this but is it possible to have ICC ports accessable for
'emergencies'.

-----Original Message-----
From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Behalf Of Alan Ackerman
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 6:27 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Second TCPIP stack and SSL


We have been ordered to protect all TN3270 sessions to VM with SSL. This 
means turning on SSLSERV and disabling non-SSL. (INTERNALCLIENTPARMS 
SECURECONNECTION REQUIRED, I think.) IBM level 2 has suggested that other 
shops have a second TCP/IP stack to use when there are problems with TCPIP 
or SSLSERV. (We have found several problems with SSLSERV in our testing.)

I'm curious whether and how other shops use a second TCP/IP stack.

Some possibilities:

1. Have a second TCPIP stack up all the time (userids TCPIP2 and 
MPROUTE2), but with no SSL. It would run on a second IP address. (This is 
security by obscurity.)

2. Have a second TCPIP stack up all the time, with SSL required. (Userids  
TCPIP2, MPROUTE2, SSLSERV2.) This takes 2-3 more 3390-3 packs per system, 
as well as a second IP address for each. (We have 6 first-level VM 
systems, so those packs add up. There is also the administrative time to 
get new certificates, etc.)

3. Have a second TCPIP stack, kept down, with no SSL, but brought up by 
operations when we request it. It would have a second IP address. (So we 
could test without bringing down the other TCPIP stack.)

4. Have a second TCPIP stack, kept down, with no SSL, but brought up by 
operations when we request it. Assume the first stack is down and steal 
the IP address. We could only test during stand-alone time.

We do have a seond way to get into our systems, a PC-based product called 
AP View. It has been unreliable here, and in some cases we have to ask 
operations to page the AP View support, either becsaue it is not working 
or because we are only allowed Read/Only access via AP View to some (the 
most important, naturally) VM systems. This slows down recovery.

We are trying to get rid of VTAM. (Actually, we are waiting for the z/OS 
folks on this.) So that is not a good alternative.

Alan Ackerman                                            
Alan (dot) Ackerman (at) Bank of America (dot) com       

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